Board



SePt- 30, 1941- J. E. HUFFAKER 2,257,687

BOARD I Filed June 20, 1940 Ik .go /gv Il I 3mm/oom La7 16 E6 lJaim lyffzer @www Patented Sept. 30, 19411 A UNIT-ED STATES PATENT orificeJohn E. Huaker, Portland, Oreg.

Application June 20, 1940, Serial No. 341,551

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved board primarily adapted for use asa game board and also well adapted for use as a drawing board and havingdrawers for holding game pieces and other game implements or drawinginstruments and materials, or the like.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide a board, forexample, capable of being used for play of a number of games and formedof pivotally connected sections capable of being folded, for storagewhen not in use; said sections each containing drawers for holdingsheetsprovided with playing areas, and said drawers havin-g latch means forreleasably retaining them in closed positions.

" Still another aim of the invention is to provide a folding gaine boardwith a pivotally con- `inected resilient latch means for holding thegame board sections in a folded position and pivotally mounted latchmeans for holding the board in an extended position.

A further aim of the invention is to provide in combination with thedrawers for `holding game paraphernalia, recesses formed in the marginalrailing of the game board for holding the game pieces and having coversturnably mounted on the railing for exposing or closing said recesses.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide board sectionspivotally connected along corresponding edges thereof and provided withrounded longitudinally extending ribs and grooves in said edges forinter-meshing, when the board is extended, to thereby reinforce theintermediate portion of the board to prevent excess pressure on thehinges or pivots which connect the board sections.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, whichillustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein;

Figure l is a top plan view of the apparatus,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken substantiallyalong the plane of the line 2 2 of Figure 1, with the drawers in fullyclosed positions,

Figure 3 is an end view in elevation showing the apparatus folded, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View showing a portion ofthe board in a folded position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views, I designates generally a board, particularly adapted tobe used as aff-ame bafdrbut which may be used as a portable drawingboard. The board Iil is divided transversely, intermediate of its ends,and forms corresponding sections I I and I2, each of which is providedwith a U-shaped frame I3, the intermediate portions I4 of which areconnected by hinges I5. The ends or legs of the frames I3 extendoutwardly relatively to each other. The sections II and I2 are providedwith the top portions IB and bottom portions I'I which are secured tothe opposite sides of the U-shaped frames I3 by mean's'of fastenings I8to form spaces I9, which open outwardly of the remote ends of the boardIll.

Drawers 20 are mounted inthe spaces I9 and are provided with `the knobs2| forimoving the drawers 20, relatively to the spaces I9 to open andclosed positions. The drawers 20 carry curved latch elements 22 ofspring metal which are adapted to engage fixed keepers 23, which projectinto the spaces, for releasably holding the drawers, in `fully closedpositions. i

Theboard lil is provided withan up-set marginal railing24 which Visformed of `corresponding U-shaped section-s carried by the boardsections II and I 2, the ends of which are adapted to be disposed inabutting engagement, as best seen in Figure 2, when the board Ill is inan extended position. The railing 24 is substantially circular in crosssection and along each side thereof is provided with a plurality oflongitudinal grooves 25 which open upwardly and outwardly thereof. Eachof the grooves 25 is provided with a cover 26, which covers arearcuately shaped in cross section. The covers 26 are provided withintegral ring portions 2l at the ends thereof, which are disposed aroundthe railing 24 and in grooves 28 in the under side thereof, and whichare loosely mounted relatively to the railing to permit the covers 26 tobe turned on the railing 24 for exposing or closing the grooves 25. Eachof the covers 26 is provided with an outwardly curved lip 29, forming ahandle for turning the covers. The lips 29 are provided with apertures30 for engaging projections 3I on the inner side of the railing 24 forlatching the closures 25 in closed positions. The lips 29 aresufficiently resilient to be sprung out of engagement with theprojections 3| for releasing the latch means.

Latch members 32 are pivotally mounted on opposite ends of the twoU-shaped sections of the railing 24 and are provided with down turnedfree ends, as best seen in Figure 2, for engaging grooves 33 in theother, alternate ends of the railing sections for releasably holding theboard I in an extended position. The adjacent edges of the portions I4are provided with longitudinally extending rounded ribs and grooves 34which inter-mesh or inter-lock, when the board I0 is in an extendedposition, as best seen in Figure 2, to prevent pressure on the upperside of the board l0 from distorting or twisting the hinges l5 and tothereby provide means whereby the hinges l5 are relieved from supportingthe weight of the intermediate portion of thev board lll, when in anextended position.

Referring particularly to Figure 4, a hook 35 is secured at its shankend to the under side of` the section I2, with its hooked end projectingoutwardly from the free end of said section;

A loop V36 is pivotally connected to the under side of the correspondingportion of the section ll for detachably engaging the hook 35 when thesections Il 'and l2 are folded relatively to Y each other, in the manneras illustrated in Figure 3. The shank of the hook 3,5 is sufficientlyresilient to permit its free end to ber bent and passed through the loop36 for connectingl or disconnecting the parts.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the grooves Y25 form receptaclesfor holding) game pieces, and the like, while the drawers 20"may be usedfor containing the: sheets on which are printed various types of playingelds for use in the play of different games in conjunction u withplaying pieces, not shown,l disposedV in the recesses 25. Said sheets,not shown, maybe spread on the upper side of the boardY l0, whenextended, so that the board will act as a support for the game sheetsand playing pieces. The drawers 20 and recesses 25 may also be used forholding drawing. instruments and paper, not

shown, and under such circumstances the board IU is readily adaptedforuse as a drawing board, and lif desired a partor all of the railing2d" can be dispensed with. The board Il), as heretofore explained, willbe retained in an extended posi,- tion by the latch elements 32 engagingthe recesses 33 and these latch elements. 32`may be swung inwardly tolet the board be folded and latched in a. folded position by the parts35 and 36. When thus folded latch elements 32 will hold the drawersclosed while the latch means and y3l will hold the covers 26 in closedpositions for eiectively storing articles Vcontained within the drawers20 and the grooves 25.

Various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement ofthe parts forming the invention` are rcontemplated and may obviously beresorted to as only a preferred embodiment has been illustrated anddescribed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A game board, formed of sections, having f an upstanding marginalrailing extending around theV game board, said railing being formed ofsections connected to the upper side of the board sections, said railingbeing substantially semioval in cross section and being provided Ywithspaced upwardly opening grooves, covers for closing or exposing saidgrooves, said covers being Varcuately shaped in crosssection andrbeingprovided with integral ring portions at the ends thereof, and saidrailing having arcuately shaped groovesl in itsY underside forreceivingthel ring portions to position them for engaging around the railing forturnably mounting the covers thereon. Y Y

2. A game board of the type having recesses opening outwardly of the.ends thereof for receiving slidable drawers, comprising an upstandingmarginal railing attached,P to the upper -side of the game'boardadjacent the marginall edges thereof, said railing being substantiallysemioval in cross section and having upwardly opening, lengthwisedisposed channels in its upper portionv and transversely disposedarcuately shapedV grooves in its underside, 'and cover` members,arcuately shaped in cross section, disposed on the railing and havingring shaped ends extending through and engaging the grooves for turnablyY mounting the covers on the channeled portions ofthe railing.

JOHN E; HUFFAKER

